The National Pork Board, located in Clive, IA, is seeking a dynamic person to act as our Director of Pork Safety. This position will be responsible for providing technical support for the National Pork Boardâs food safety and pork quality efforts. This would include developing the industryâs pre and post-harvest food safety research agenda, interacting with packers, processors, and other segments of the pork chain on quality issues and serving as a liaison with public health audiences. This position would also provide food safety and pork quality information to state pork associations and others as needed, and assist to resolve international food safety issues.
Monthly Archives: January 2016
Economics of Veterinary Medical Education Summit
Michigan State University, in concert with AVMA and AAVMC, is sponsoring a conference to bring solutions to the educational debt challenge for veterinarians. Student debt and the cost of veterinary medical education issues are of the highest priority for our profession. All facets of the profession â colleges, students, and employers â need a shared understanding of the issues contributing to these problems in order to find viable solutions to improve the situation. To that end, the goals of the Summit are to: Provide recommendations to colleges, students, and employers that address the debt problem. Raise awareness among all stakeholders about the severity of the debt problem, its impact on the profession, and the facts surrounding it. Gain a shared understanding of all the issues contributing to the student debt problem including cost of education, debt management, and starting salaries.
AVMA CEO Dr. Ron DeHaven to retire
Dr. Ron DeHavenâs passion for veterinary medicine is what brought him to the American Veterinary Medical Association on Aug. 9, 2007. That passion is what will guide him through the remaining months of his tenure, as he will retire this summer. [Source: AVMA]
Influenza A Viruses of Swine Circulating in the United States during 2009-2014 are Susceptible to Neuraminidase Inhibitors but Show Lineage-Dependent Resistance to Adamantanes
Antiviral drug susceptibility is one of the evaluation criteria of pandemic potential posed by an influenza virus. Influenza A viruses of swine (IAV-S) can play an important role in generating novel variants, yet limited information is available on the drug resistance profiles of IAV-S circulating in the U.S. Phenotypic analysis of the IAV-S isolated in the U.S. (2009-2011) (n=105) revealed normal inhibition by the neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors (NAIs) oseltamivir, zanamivir, and peramivir. Screening NA sequences from IAV-S collected in the U.S. (1930-2014) showed 0.03% (1/3396) sequences with clinically relevant H274Y-NA substitution. Phenotypic analysis of IAV-S isolated in the U.S. (2009-2011) confirmed amantadine resistance caused by the S31N-M2 and revealed an intermediate level of resistance caused by the I27T-M2. The majority (96.7%, 589/609) of IAV-S with the I27T-M2 in the influenza database were isolated from pigs in the U.S. The frequency of amantadine-resistant markers among IAV-S in the U.S. was high (71%), and their distribution was M-lineage dependent. All IAV-S of the Eurasian avian M lineage were amantadine-resistant and possessed either a single S31N-M2 substitution (78%, 585/747) or its combination with the V27A-M2 (22%, 162/747). The I27T-M2 substitution accounted for 43% (429/993) of amantadine resistance in classic swine M lineage. Phylogenetic analysis showed that both S31N-M2 and I27T-M2 emerged stochastically but appeared to be fixed in the U.S. IAV-S population. This study defines a drug-susceptibility profile, identifies the frequency of drug-resistant markers, and establishes a phylogenetic approach for continued antiviral-susceptibility monitoring of IAV-S in the U.S. Baranovich T, Bahl J, Marathe BM, Culhane M, Stigger-Rosser E, Darnell D, Kaplan BS, Lowe JF, Webby RJ, Govorkova EA; Influenza A Viruses of Swine Circulating in the United States during 2009-2014 are Susceptible to Neuraminidase Inhibitors but Show Lineage-Dependent Resistance to Adamantanes; Antiviral Res. 2015 May;117:10-9. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2015.02.004. Epub 2015 Feb 19. PMID: 25701593
Influenza Surveillance Program Reports Released
USDA has released the first quarterly reports for the Influenza A Virus in Swine (IAV-S) Surveillance Program initiated in 2010. These reports summarize the results from the USDA-APHIS-VS IAV-S surveillance program for FY 2015. The report is intended to provide swine producers, practitioners, diagnosticians, and the public with a brief status update of national surveillance for IAV-S. The APHIS-USDA Web site provides general information about the IAV-S surveillance program at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal-health/swine-health-surveillance.
“””Homework”” Assignment for AASV Annual Meeting Attendees”
As AASV members prepare to Jazz it UP in the Big Easy, Alex Hogg Memorial Lecturer Dr. Peggy Anne Hawkins has a pre-meeting assignment for conference attendees. During the Alex Hogg Lecture, she will be talking about personality types as a means to understand people that you collaborate with. Some of you have already taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®) test. This is a trademarked set of questions used to determine your personality type, based on your preferences. In the end, your personality is identified by a 4-letter monograph. There are 16 combinations of the 4-letter types. Dr. Hawkins is asking conference attendees to find out their 4-letter type before the Hogg Lecture on Monday morning. Since we cannot afford to have everyone take the real MBTI, we will rely on a couple of websites that offer a free analysis. Granted, these are not exactly the MBTI, but they are good alternatives. There are two Internet sites that provide free evaluations. Choose one site and get your 4-letter personality type:
Watch for Your Ballot: District Director Elections Under Way
Elections are under way for the AASV District Director positions in Districts 3 and 8. Ballots have been mailed to voting members in each district. The candidates in each district are:
Avoid $100 Upcharge: Pre-Register for 2016 AASV Annual Meeting
You probably made your lodging arrangements for the AASV 2016 Annual Meeting months ago – don’t forget register for the conference itself! After February 5, the member registration rate takes a BIG jump – so don’t wait! The meeting will be held February 27 – March 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana, where presentations will address the theme, “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Collaboration and Teamwork.” Conference details, including registration, lodging, and the scientific program are available at www.aasv.org/annmtg. Printed registration materials have been mailed to all AASV members (they’re included with JSHAP for international and student members who receive mailed journals). See you in New Orleans!
Call for Speakers – 2017 Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Convention
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) is looking for speakers from across Canada, the United States and abroad to be part of the 2017 CVMA Convention held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island from July 13 to 16, 2017.
AASV Vice President Candidates: Drs. Scanlon Daniels and James Kober
The annual election for AASV Vice President is underway. The nominees are Drs. Scanlon Daniels (Dalhart, Texas) and James Kober (Holland, Michigan). Information about the candidates appears in the January/February 2016 issue of the Journal of Swine Health & Production. Ballots have been mailed to all AASV Active Members (veterinarians in the US, Canada, and Mexico) and must be returned by mail. Only official ballots received in the AASV office by February 19 will be counted. The election results will be announced at the AASV 2016 Annual Meeting in New Orleans.